Starting ignition booster system



1951 YOSHlO KlNOSHlTA 3,

STARTING IGNITION BOOSTER SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 NVENTUR 35H 10 KINOSHITA ATTORNEY 1951 YOSHIO KlNOSHlTA STARTING IGNITION BOOSTER SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1958 INVENTUR INGSHITA A TTOKNEY United States Patent 3,006,328 STARTING IGNITION BOOSTER SYSTEM Yoshio Kinoshita, No. 4 Kawashima-cho Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Oct. 17, 1958, Set- N0. 767,939 1 Claim. (Cl. 123-179) This invention relates to a booster for the ignition starting system and more particularly to the special layout of the ignition coil circuit which enables the engine to start even when the battery is run down.

Heretofore, when the electric charge of an automobile battery has gone down because of wear and tear, forgetting to switch-ofi the ignition, low generating power of the dynamo, overuse of the radio set, heater, when a second-hand battery is used, the voltage as well as the current is often so low that it is impossible to start the engine. At such times, the engine was started in one of the following three ways: by turning the crank, by pushing the car, or by recharging the battery. Some modern cars are not equipped with a crank, and, when it is necessary to push the vehicle, since there is a hydraulic transmission, if the vehicle is not pushed at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more, it is very hard to start the engine. Moreover, in case of a second-hand car, owing to abrasion of the inner wall in the upper chamber of the cylinder, when engine oil is to ascend in said upper chamber, high voltage current induced on the secondary coil will leak out of the ignition plug. Therefore, in the existing ignition, it is very hard to overcome all these obstacles to start the engine.

An ignition booster system has now been discovered which insures the starting of the engine and eliminates the above-mentioned difficulties.

An object of the invention is to provide an ignition circuit for automobiles wherein the circuit is made to act as a low inductance on the primary coil of the ignition coil upon starting and after starting, said circuit is made to act as a high inductance on the primary coil so as to overcome the lowering of efliciency, and complete the starting of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ignition circuit fora'utomobiles wherein a short-circuit upon starting only occurs between the primary coil input and the middle tap of said coil by means of an electro-magnetic relay fitted on the bottom of the ignition coil. After starting, said short-circuit is released so that the abovementioned object can be'effe'ctively attained and at the same time overheating of the coil due to misconnection can also be prevented.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, although it will be understood that the components of which the invention consists may be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangement and organization of the components herein shown and described.

The drawings show two embodiments of the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ignition coil and a wiring diagram of one embodiment of the invention; and,

FIG. 2 illustrates a longitudinal sectional View similar to FIGURE 1, but of a second embodiment of the present invention showing alternate switch positions in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c and a top plan view of a switch in FIG. 2d.

In accordance with the first embodiment, there is shown a tap 3, taken out of a primary coil 2 of the ignition coil 1 at the point of /s- /s turns of the number of the ice windings, counting from where the input of said ignition coil is fitted on bottom of the insulator 4 and connected with the terminal 6 provided to the contact 5. The input terminal 7 of the insulator 4 is screwed to the contact 8 and on the other hand connected with the input 9 exposed to the outside. The relay frame 11 having a metallic core in center, is provided with a terminal 12. The brass cylinder is grounded to a bobbin 15 having a brass cylinder 13 in the center and both the upper and the 0 lower end of which are covered with insulators 14.

An electro-magnet 17 provided with a field coil 16, the first windings of which are connected with the brass cylinder 13, is inserted in the metallic core inside the relay frame 11. The last windings of the field coil 16 are connected with the terminal 12. In center of said electromagnet 17 is an absorbing bar 18 which is movable upward and downward and facing the metallic core 10. The slot 19 dug on the lower side of said absorber is fitted a spring 29, the upper side of said absorber 18 is consisted of a thin bar 21. In the center of bar 21 is a tapered hole, where insulator 24, having two disc-shaped contacts 23 are inserted. The insulator 24 is fastened to a thin bar 21 by means of a snap ring 25. The relay frame 11 is attached to the lower part of the frame 26 of the ignition coil 1 by means of a screw 27. The above is general description of the ignition coil cylinder 28. The high voltage outlet of the secondary coil 30 is numbered 29. The winding terminal 31 of the primary coil 2 is connected with the interrupter 32 and input 9 is connected with the engine terminal 34 of the starting and engine switch 33. The terminal 12 together with the starter 35 is connected with the terminal of the battery 38 by the operation of the relay 37 connected with the starting terminal 36 of the starting engine switch 33. In the drawing, the source terminal of starting engine switch 33 is numbered 39. The ammeter is numbered 40, and the engine key, 41. The invention operates as follows:

First turn the engine key 41 and switch on the engine switch 33 and the current of the battery 38 flows to the source terminal 39 through the ammeter 40', then to the engine terminal 34 and the input 9. From the input terminal it finally flows to the interrupter 32 of a distributor through the primary coil 2 and the winding terminal 31. At this moment, current flows from the source terminal 39 to the field coil through the starting terminal 36 and-the relay 37 In this way, as current flows from the battery 38 to the starter 35, the engine starts turning. At this moment, as the terminal of the battery 38 is connected with the terminal 12, current is grounded from the brass cylinder 13 through the field coil 16 and activates metallic core 10; The latter absorbs the thin bar 21 and the discs contacts '8 and 5 respectively so that a short circuit is produced between the input terminal 7 and the tap 3. Therefore, current flows from the input terminal 7, the contacts 8, 20 and 5 to the terminal 6 and the primary coil 2 through the tap 3 and finally from the winding terminal 31 to the interrupter 32. By the action of the latter, high voltage is induced in the secondary coil 30. Current goes to the distributor through the high voltage outlet 29, then in order to start the ignition of the engine, to the ignition plug and the engine starts working. When the hand is released from the engine key 41, the source terminal 39 and the starting terminal 36 being opened by the action of a spring, the current to the relay 37 is interrupted and the starter 35 stops. At this moment, the electro-magnet loses magnetism and returns to its original position by the action of the spring 20 and short-circuit between the input terminal 7 and the tap 3 will be interrupted. Hence, the car will keep running since circuit is formed by utilizing all the windings of the primary coil.

According to this invention, when the battery of 6 volt electromotive force is used and when it goes down to 4 volts, since the primary coil is still useful as low inductance at starting, it is possible to make the secondary coil produce as high voltage as when 7 to 8 volts is added to all the number of windings of the primary coil.

Therefore, even if the engine turns very slowly owing to an efiiciency-lowered battery, so long as it turns, the engine will start. In the existing ignition, When the 6 volts battery is used, as long as the engine keeps turning after starting, the voltage of said battery being generated by a dynamo being regulated to between 7 and 8 volts by means of a voltage regulator, the layout of the primary coil is so made as to stand long and continuous use under 7 to 8 volts. Hence, it is natural that no efliciency whatever can be produced with an efiiciency-lowered battery. According to this invention, the above-mentioned deficiencies are completely eliminated.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2, and performs the same function as in FIG. 1. Although it has the defect of burning the coil if misconnected, it curtails largely the manufacturing expense. In FIG. 2, a tap 3 is taken out of the primary coil 2 of the ignition coil 1, at the point of turns of all the windings, counting from the side of input terminal 7 where winding starts. Said tap is connected with the terminal 6 attached to the frame 26. The starting and engine switch 31 contains the three-point contact plate 42 and several contacts, of which 43 is connected with terminal 6, 44 with the input terminal 7, 45 with the relay 37, 46 with the terminal of the battery through the ammeter, finally 47 and 48 are connected with the radio set and the fuel meter respectively. Give one turn to the engine key 41 clockwise, see FIG. 2a, and the three-point contact plate 42 the tap 3 then to the primary coil 2 through the contacts 46 and 43 and finally to the interrupter through the winding terminal 31 of same primary coil. At this moment, current which shunts from the three-point contact plate 42 will actuate the relay 37 through the contact 45 so that the connection between the battery 38 and the starter 35 will be closed and the starter will turn. Thus, high voltage current induced on the secondary coil flows to the ignition plug and the engine will start Working. When the engine key is released by hand, the three-point rubbing plate 42 Will turn backward and stop at the position shown in FIG. 2b. Then, flow of the current to the starter will be interrupted as well as the tap 3 and current flows from the contact 44 to the input terminal 7 of the primary coil 2, then to the primary coil so that the engine keeps turning all the time and at the same time contact 47 is engaged by plate 42 to permit a radio or the like to be energized. Turn the engine key 41 counter-clockwise and bring it to the position of FIG. 2c the fuel meter 48 can be energized without current flow to the coil.

starts turning. Current flows from the battery 38 to It is to be observed therefore that the present invention provides for an ignition circuit which will start the car even when the efliciency of the battery goes down. The driver can still drive the car with a weak battery.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In an ignition system for vehicles comprising in combination a source of potential, starter means, a relay connected between said source of potential and said starter means, an ignition coil including primary and secondary windings, said primary winding including terminal and intermediate taps, and switch means including a plurality of circularly disposed and spaced electrical contacts, said switch means including a manually rotatable, equilateral, triangular-shaped conductor plate rotatable on an aXis of rotation about which said contacts are concentrically disposed, said conductor plate including three equally spaced apex portions, 21 first of said switch contacts connected to said source of potential and constantly engaged by one of said apex portions, a second of said switch contacts connected to said intermediate tap, a third of said switch contacts connected to said relay, said apex portions being engageable each With a respective one of said first, second and third switch contacts during a first switch position, a fourth switch contact connected to said terminal tap, said conductor plate including a second switch position in which a circuit is closed between said first and fourth switch contacts, said conductor plate including a neutral position in which said one apex portion is engaged with said first switch contact and no current flows through said conductor plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,475,184 Hawkins Nov. 27, 1923 1,487,210 Davies Mar. 18, 1924 1,550,146 Brockway Aug. 18, 1925 1,603,071 Davies Oct. 12, 1926 1,842,815 Arthur Jan. 26, 1932 2,032,775 Trail Mar. 3, 1946 2,684,666 Deacon July 27, 1954 2,723,654 Hartzell Nov. 15, 1955 2,846,992 Short Aug. 12, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 729,921 France Mar. 3, 1932 

